


Crossroads Deal

by Javelon



Category: jacksepticeye
Genre: Angst, Coma, Depression, Possible Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-06 09:34:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17937281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Javelon/pseuds/Javelon
Summary: Chase doesn't always make the smartest decisions after drinking...





	1. The Crossroads

_"Huh apparently about 70% of people experience imposter syndrome. Weird." Anti had randomly mentioned one afternoon while browsing on his phone._

 

_Chase had been busy jotting down notes for the next days videos but paused to look up at the glitch from his notebook, "What's so weird about that?"_

 

_Anti made a grunt, "Why would so many people feel like the wrong person? That's stupid."_

 

_The flinch would have given away Chase's thoughts on that comment had Anti looked up from his phone, "I think imposter syndrome is more about people feeling like they don't deserve their success and being worried others find out they're a fraud."_

 

_"Well maybe they Are a fraud then and don't deserve anything. What reason is there to worry otherwise?" Anti had snarked, unaware of the way Chase had gripped his pen tight._

 

That conversation had happened weeks ago but it might as well have happened yesterday for how fresh it stayed in Chase's mind. Since he had started pretending to be Jack after Jack had fallen into a coma, imposter syndrome was something Chase battled with every day.

 

Ok maybe imposter syndrome wasn't quite right but Chase didn't know the word or phrase for purposeful decoy that's been decoying for so long they're losing themselves. There might not even be a word for that for who else has had to pretend to be someone that they're almost a carbon copy of? And for such an extended period of time that he sometimes didn't even respond to his name anymore, not remembering that he was _Chase_ not Jack.

 

Not that he was anything close to Jack other than appearance. Jack was someone who was so bright and vibrant and brought so much joy to so many people. Chase was just a cheap imitation, a failure of a person that could pretend just well enough that others couldn't tell if they didn't look too close. That had been made especially evident one night when Chase had walked passed Henrik's office to see him slouched over his desk sound asleep. Chase shook the doctor awake and Henrik had exclaimed "Jack!" in such a joyous tone when looking up at him until the doctor had readjusted his glasses then visibly wilted, "Oh you're not Jack."

 

Chase knew Henrik hadn't meant anything by that. It didn't change how much that had hurt. But Henrik was right, Chase wasn't Jack. He wasn't the one everyone wanted.

 

Alcohol has a history of making otherwise smart people do dumb things. Chase never really thought of himself as a smart person, especially lately. And when his preferred whiskey is coursing through him? Well...

 

But this idea he thought was pretty smart. Ok maybe walking out to the middle of nowhere after the sun went down while inebriated wasn't exactly smart. Nor was leaving the house without at least a light jacket on this cool night. But as Chase kneeled in the middle of the dirt road intersection, he found he didn't care. All that mattered was the box, the road, and the book he had found in Marvin's room with an interesting section about summoning creatures who grant wishes.

 

He also probably should have brought a small trowel to make digging this hole easier. JJ loved taking care of plants so Chase was sure there was a trowel in the house somewhere. But regardless the hole was now dug and should be deep enough for the box.

 

Chase gently placed the box in the hole and replaced the dirt over it. Then he waited.

 

And waited.

 

The young ego bounced nervously before taking out his phone and pulling up the picture he took of a page he had been interested in. He was sure he'd done everything right!

 

" _'To summon a crossroads demon you must place a picture of the person wishing to make the deal, graveyard dirt, and the bone of a black cat in a box and bury it in the dead center of a set of crossroads.'_ Yea I did all that so where is the demon?" Chase muttered.

 

"Behind you, darling."

 

Chase whirled in place, almost falling over before righting himself, gaping at the gorgeous woman before him.

 

Her smile was slow and sensual, each step towards him graceful, her fingers long and delicate as she gently pressed on the underside of his jaw, closing his mouth.

 

"You were going to catch flies, dear." She offered in explanation at Chase's confused look.

 

"Bu...wha..y...you're the demon?" Chase stammered.

 

"That I am, darling. Why else would a lady like me be out here?" Her full red lips curled into an amused smile.

 

"But...Anti..."

 

"The one you call Antisepticeye is simply a powerful tulpa, doll. Honestly he'd be a disgrace of a demon with how obvious his...unnaturalness is to the general public. A true demon knows how to blend in with humans and your..."brother" is no true demon."

 

Chase must have looked unconvinced for she continued, "If a demon that looked like "Anti" stood next to me and we both offered you the same deal, who would you feel more comfortable dealing with?"

 

"Oh...." He supposed that made sense. He just had thought of Anti as a demon for so long that his alcohol addled brain was having trouble processing this information. 

 

"But I believe you didn't summon me here to discuss what Antisepticeye is and is not. Tell me what's on your mind, darling." Her smile was sweet and surprisingly comforting, coaxing him to spill all his troubles.

 

Normally he wouldn't but the whiskey in him whispered he should tell her what led up to this night. So he did. He told her everything, from his failed marriage to his failed career to his failure as a father and finally to his failure to keep up the act of pretending to be Jack. When he was finished, tears streaked down his cheeks.

 

The woman reached up and wiped away one of his tears with her thumb, cooing softly at him, "You poor soul, life has been so cruel to you. Don't worry dear I can make it all better. Which do you want most? Your darling children back? Your beloved Stacy returned to you-"

 

"I want to take Jack's place." Chase blurted out before flushing red at having interrupted her.

 

She froze ever so slightly, lips pursed, "You...wish to take his place? I can give you almost anything you desire, are you sure that's what you want?"

 

Chase ducked his head, "I...it's not that I don't want the other things you offer. But...having Stacy and the kids back won't change that I failed them. I-I don't deserve them anymore." He had to pause to choke back a fresh wave of tears, "I've failed so many people in my life. I can't even pretend to be Jack anymore. Nobody wants me around, they want him. They deserve to have him. And I failed to pretend enough to be him until he wakes up. Th-the least I can do to try and make up for that is give everyone Jack back. He's the one that deserves to live anyway and be awake and with everyone, nn-not me."

 

For a moment all you could hear in the crossroads was the rustling of leaves in the breeze.

 

"I...must admit this is an _unusual_ request. Normally when making deals I give the person want they desire then return for my payment in ten years. This however..." the woman paused and tapped one of her perfectly manicured nails against her lips in thought, "Very well I shall grant your request but instead of ten years I shall return for my payment in one year. No point having that handsome body of yours wasting away in a hospital bed for that long after all."

 

"But..." Chase stopped when the woman raised a brow at him, almost as if daring him to back out, "Okay...I'm um...what do you want as payment? The book said demons always want something in exchange but it didn't say what you usually want. I hope it's something I can get..."

 

A light laugh filled the crossroads, "Oh darling, you already have what I need."

 

Chase just looked at her blankly as her smile widened and she leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Your soul, doll."

 

The young ego visibly swallowed. It shouldn't have surprised him, it really shouldn't. Of course a demon would want a soul and not some material thing he could gather. 

 

Taking a step back the woman gave him a gentler smile, "Ah it's alright, darling. It is a lot to ask, to trade away your soul so poor Jack can wake up. Not many could do such a selfless act." The woman began to walk away.

 

"Wait!" Chase snatched her elbow, desperation filling him, "No I'll do it! I'll give you my soul in exchange for Jack. I...can I ask for one more thing?"

 

The woman stood there patiently, arching a brow as she waited for his request.

 

"Before...before I take Jack's place...can I see him awake?" Chase pleaded.

 

"You wound me, dear. Do you not trust I will uphold my end of the deal?" The woman asked, seeming offended.

 

"No no! I just...it's been so long since I've seen him awake and heard him talk. I just want to see that, one more time. Please." 

 

The woman regarded him for a moment then smiled, "I accept this deal."

 

Chase sighed in relief, "Thank you!" He looked around awkwardly, "Uh so...how do we do this? Do I need to sign something? Prick my finger?"

 

Another laugh, "No worries, darling, we demons are more sophisticated than that." She placed her fingers on his chin, tilting his face up slightly before giving him a kiss. 

 

Chase froze in shock only to visibly recoil when the woman pulled away and he saw her eyes were now solid blood red and her smile had turned cruel, "I shall see you in a year, Chase Brody."

 

With a blink of an eye she was gone and Chase was left standing alone again. The young ego ran his hands through his hair, mentally cursing himself. Fuck what had he done?

 

"Way to go Brody." Chase muttered to himself before shaking his head. No this was the right thing to do. This was for Jack and any grievances Chase had didn't matter. What he needed to do was get home. He just hoped the demon had truly kept her end of the deal.

 

* * *

 

When Chase returned home he could already tell something was different. Every light inside seemed to be on and the house just felt..happier. Maybe that was Chase projecting his own hope but he wanted to believe.

 

It was a hope that grew as he quietly entered the house and heard excited voices from the direction of Henrik's office. The young father crept towards the room and softly gasped when he looked in.

 

The woman had held up her end of the deal. There in the hospital bed was a fully awake Jack, surrounded by everyone looking so blessedly awake and healthy. Chase covered his mouth to quiet a relieved sob then a choked laugh when he heard someone say "Oh thank you God." If only they knew that it was a demon they should be thanking instead.

 

Speaking of demon Chase was forcefully reminded of his end of the deal as a wave of dizziness washed over him, black spots appearing in his vision. No, no, no he needed more time! He hadn't gotten to talk to Jack yet!

 

But the black spots and dizziness was growing and the last thing Chase wanted to do was collapse and disrupt everyone's happiness. His bed. He needed to make it to his bed. Hopefully if anyone poked their heads in they would just think he was sleeping. The dizziness made it hard to walk straight, the wall being the only thing really keeping Chase upright as he stumbled down the hall. So close, he was so close!

 

It took more effort than it should have to twist his door knob and open the door, his foot kicking out the only reason the door shut behind him as he fell to his knees. He just needed to make it to the bed, he could do this! With every last bit of willpower in him Chase reached for the bed, grasping the blankets only to pull them down with him as his arms gave out, darkness swallowing him as he hit the floor.


	2. Oh Chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marvin doesn't understand what's wrong with Chase

Marvin was the first to respond when he heard Henrik start babbling in German, his room being the closest to the doctor's office. It wasn't uncommon to hear Henrik start speaking in his native tongue when he was excited or upset or really frustrated with something he was working on. Unfortunately there hadn't been much to be excited about lately so Marvin was hoping it was frustration causing the doc's current meltdown and not something..worse.

Slowly Marvin eased open the door to the office, jaw dropping when he took in the scene before him. Henrik was babbling excitedly, dashing from machine to machine with his clipboard in hand. And talking happily with the doctor was a very awake Jack.

"Jack!" The magician found himself at Jack's bedside, his own excitement causing him to temporarily lose control of his magic and speed forward faster than the human eye could follow.

Jack and Henrik let out squeaks of surprise as Jack was enveloped in Marvin's embrace, "Oh my God, Jack! You're awake! You're actually awake!" Tears streamed down his face as emotions overwhelmed him.

Jack's arms tightened around him as he laughed, he laughed! Such a beautiful sound that Marvin had feared they would never hear again! "I'm awake, Marvin. It's so good to see you, my friend."

Marvin couldn't reply as he broke down in full on sobs, relishing in the feeling of Jack's hand rubbing his back, "Hey, hey it's ok Marv. I'm here now. Shhhhh it's ok."

By the time Marvin was able to compose himself, the other egos had come to see what all the commotion was. He jumped back next to Henrik just in time as Jackie hurled himself at Jack, earning the anger of the good doctor.

"Be careful, Jackie! You'll crush him!"

Jack laughed again as he hugged the crying superhero, "It's ok Henrik, I'm not made of glass."

Warmth blossomed in Marvin's chest as he watched Jack and Henrik banter back and forth about Jack's supposed frailty. Gods he had missed this so, so much. 

Out of the corner of his eye Marvin saw Jameson standing hesitantly in the doorway. Jack must have seen him too as he smiled up at the old timer ego and motioned him forward. "Hello! You're...JJ right?"

The egos looked at Jack in shock as he grinned, "I could sometimes hear you guys talking in the darkness. I remember hearing about the new ego JJ which must be you. I love the 'stache, bro."

Henrik and Marvin exchanged smiles at the joy on Jameson's face. They knew the youngest ego had been worried Jack wouldn't like him, despite reassurances that Jack would love him just like Jack loved them. They were family after all. And finally Jameson got to see for himself that they were right. 

"Did you...uh...hear what I said then?" Anti's voice from the back corner of the room made Marvin jump in surprise.

The glitch was standing against the wall as far from the others as he could be, digging invisible dirt out from his nails with his knife, pointedly not looking at anyone.

Marvin looked back at Jack in concern. They knew Anti felt true remorse for his actions but that didn't change the fact that the glitch was still the one who had put Jack into a coma in the first place.

Relief filled him when he saw the gentle smile on Jack's face. "I heard every word, Anti. I'll admit at first I was worried it was a trick." Jack held up his hand when Anti's head shot up, "But I heard the others talk about you too so I knew you were truly sorry. And I forgive you."

"Oh thank you God." Anti had slumped in relief before flushing red, ducking his head back down but not before light caught on the tears pooling in his eyes.

Marvin had never seen Anti cry before. Chase had told him once that he had found Anti crying at Jack's bedside a few times, stammering apologies to his comatose creator. But Marvin had never seen it for himself. He felt the urge to hug Anti like he would for the others when they cried but he knew the glitch wouldn't approve. They were still trying to get him used to spontaneous, kind touches but it was slow going. Chase was the only one who could hug Anti without the glitch immediately shoving him away.

Speaking of the father ego Marvin realized he was the only one not in the room. A tiny warning sounded in his head before Marvin shoved it away. There was no need to be alarmed. Chase was probably just in his room. It's where he usually was when he wasn't recording videos for Jack's channel or working after all. And his room was the furthest from the office so he probably hadn't heard all the noise.

The magician shook himself with a smile and slipped out of the room while the others filled Jack in on what he had missed. Chase would be so happy to see Jack awake! He'd really had the toughest time with Jack's coma, being the one who had been closest to Jack. Then having to fill in for Jack just made it worse. The young father had once confessed at Jack's bedsite that he felt like a fraud. Sadness washed over Marvin as he recalled when he walked by the office only to pause at the door when he heard Chase say that. He hadn't wanted to intrude at the moment so he had walked away. Sometimes he wished he had spoken up though. Did Chase know how much the others appreciated everything he did? Surely he knew...

The door to Chase's room was firmly closed so Marvin rapped on the door. 

Knock knock

"Chase? It's Marvin. I need to talk to you. Can I come in?"

Silence answered him.

"Chase?" That tiny warning returned this time accompanied by a curl of concern settling in his chest.

Knock knock knock

"Chase?? I'm coming in!"

Marvin twisted the knob and pushed the door open, stopping when the door hit something. Peaking his head inside he sighed.

"Oh Chase."

The father was laying on the floor, blankets pooled around him, an empty whiskey bottle barely peaking out from under the bed. Sorrow tugged at the magician. Life had been so hard on Chase lately. He put on such a brave face but Marvin knew even without the empty alcohol bottle that it was just a mask. 

He slipped in the room and knelt down next to Chase, placing a hand on the father's shoulder. "Chase. Wake up, dude."

Marvin frowned when he didn't get a response. Chase must have drank more than he thought. Usually Chase would at least grumble in his sleep.

The magician gently shook Chase's shoulder, "C'mon sleeping beauty, up and at 'em."

That curl of concern turned into a stab of fear as Chase remained unresponsive. 

"Chase c'mon this isn't funny brother. I need you to wake up now." Marvin shook him harder.

Something was wrong. He didn't know what but Marvin knew something was very wrong. He turned Chase over and placed shaking fingers on the father's pulse point. Relief washed through him when he felt the tha thump of a heartbeat, only for fear to grip him again when he realized it was way too slow.

"Chase! Please Chase! Wake up!" Marvin cried, pulling him up into his arms, shaking him as hard as he dared.

"Marvin? Vhat ever is the matter?" Henrik's voice broke through the magician's fear.

Marvin whipped his head around, "Henrik help me! I can't wake him!"

Henrik's eyes widened and rushed forward to kneel next to them, "Vhat happened?!" He quickly took Chase's limp form away from Marvin.

"I don't know! I went to tell him Jack was awake and I found him like this!" A faint breeze started whistling through the room as the fear in Marvin grew.

The good doctor looked over Chase before looking at Marvin with a serious look though Marvin could see the fear in the doc's eyes, "Marvin I need you to levitate Chase to the office. He needs to be in a bed, preferably near my supplies."

Marvin quickly nodded, already pulling on his magic before Henrik had even finished speaking. As fast as they dared move, the two took Chase down to the office where the others had gathered in the doorway. Their eyes widened in shock when they saw what was happening.

"Everyone move! Out of zhe way!" Henrik yelled, causing the others to jump to the side.

"What happened?!" Jack cried, being the first to recover.

"I do not know and you should still be in bed!" Henrik growled as he hurried past to the 2nd hospital bed, gesturing for Marvin to place Chase there.

"Did he...? Is it the alcohol?" Anti asked, glitching next to the bed to get a look at Chase himself.

"Alcohol?" Jack looked around in confusion.

Nobody said anything for a moment. Chase's alcohol problem wasn't something talked about often but everyone had noticed. They hadn't really thought about the fact that Jack wouldn't know about it, having been in a coma before it all started.

"Chase...has been under a lot of stress lately. He...he didn't always deal with it in a healthy manner." Jackie finally spoke up.

Jack's face reflected the sorrow they all felt. The egos had all tried to help Chase in various ways. Unfortunately he had simply gotten better at hiding his pain. And it all led to this.

During this discussion Henrik had been working hard on Chase, only to suddenly stop as he looked over the readings of one of his machines.

"What is it?" Marvin hesitantly asked.

Henrik shook his head, a confused frown on his lips, "Zhis...doesn't make any sense."

"What doesn't, doc?" Jackie asked, fear evident in his voice.

Anti looked over Henrik's shoulder, his brow also furrowing in confusion, "He...didn't drink that much."

"What?"

Henrik nodded in conformation, "He is correct. Zhe blood alcohol content iz not nearly high enough to explain Chase's condition. Then why...?"

He looked up at everyone, his serious expression sending more fear through Marvin, "I'm going to have to ask everyone to leave. Except Marvin. I will need your help. And Jack will stay on zhe bed."

The other egos started to protest only for Henrik to yell over them, "No arguments! I need silence to work out vhat's wrong! Now please, leave. I vill report to you all when I figure out vhat's wrong."

Reluctantly the others left, looking back before the door closes behind them. 

Henrik has returned to work by the time the door has clicked shut, paying little attention to Jack and Marvin hovering behind him.

Long minutes pass in silence before Henrik whirls around to face them, "Marvin I need you to cast your diagnostic magic on him. I need to know if my findings are correct. Jack please sit on zhe bed. I must examine you again."

Jack and Marvin exchanged looks before doing as the doctor asked. Coming to stand by Chase, Marvin pulled at his magic. The twinkling warmth of healing magic running through his veins had become familiar to him over the years. Ever since Jack had fallen into a coma Marvin had used it every day, trying to help speed up Jack's recovery. Though the last time he had used it on Chase...

Marvin shuddered, the memory of Chase on the floor, a halo of blood pooling under his head, overwhelming his senses. That had been a dark time for them all. Nightmares of the day haunted Marvin still, and he was sure it haunted the others as well. 

Shoving the memory away, Marvin let his magic wash over Chase. Starting at the heart, the magician let each pump of blood help push the magic to every part of Chase's body, the veins glowing as the magic passed through them. The longer the magic flowed though the more confused Marvin became.

"Uh...Henrik..."

Slowly, almost hesitating, Henrik turned to face him.

"His scar...his temple scar tissue...its gone." Marvin looked up to Henrik, his alarm obvious to all who looked at him. "But...there's old scar tissue on his neck..."

The doctor scrubbed a hand over his face, "I was afraid of zhat..."

Jack and Marvin looked at him confused. Henrik sighed and motioned the magician over, "Jack, may Marvin cast zhe same magic on you?"

Jack nodded and Marvin pulled at his magic again. Several moments passed in silence as Marvin's magic worked through Jack's body. When finished, Marvin's jaw fell open.

"Wha...how is Chase's old scar tissue now on Jack??"

Shoulders slumped, Henrik gave him a helpless look, "As our resident magician I vas hoping you would know. Zhis is nothing natural thus outside my are of expertise."

Jack's hand crept up to his temple as he looked between the two, "Wait...if I have Chase's...if I have his scar...then the neck scar..."

"It's the scar tissue from Anti's attack on you, yes." Henrik finished.

"And he also has all the muscle atrophy that you should have from being in a coma for so long." Marvin added softly.

A quiet gasp came from Jack as he realized what had happened. Somehow all of his injuries past and present had become Chase's including his comatose state.

"But...how?" 

Marvin sighed, "I don't know but I will find out." The magician looked over at Chase again before walking towards the door. Henrik followed after him, "And I have some egos I promised an explanation to." He fixed a stern glare on Jack, "You stay here and rest."

"I've been sleeping for months!" Jack protested.

"A coma is not zhe same as actually sleeping! You better be in zhat bed when I get back."

Jack shrank under the doctor's stare and pulled the blanket on his bed up to his chin. Henrik gave a brief nod in satisfaction before leaving the room. Marvin hesitated a moment before turning back to Jack, his heart breaking at Jack's own heartbroken look as Jack looked over Chase's still form. 

"Marvin." Jack said softly.

The magician jumped slightly. He didn't realize Jack knew he was still there, "Yea?"

The broken shards of his heart cut deep into Marvin as Jack turned to him with tear filled eyes, "Bring him back. Please."

Swallowing hard, Marvin nodded, "I will. I promise."

Jack turned back to Chase and after a moment of silence Marvin left the room, determined to fulfill his promise and bring their brother back to them.


	3. Tick tock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anti stands watch and Henrik makes a discovery

_Tick tock tick tock_

 

The cuckoo clock ticked ever forward, the only thing making noise in the room. Anti had always disliked it. 

 

_Tick tock tick tock_

 

It wasn't that it was an ugly clock. Henrik had brought it back with him from Germany. A man there had carefully crafted the clock by hand, lovingly carving every piece of wood that went into it. It was obvious to anyone who looked at the clock that it was well made by someone with decades of practice.

 

_Tick tock tick tock_

 

Originally Anti disliked it cause it wasn't powered by electricity. There were no batteries or wires connecting the clock to the grid that powered the house. Anti couldn't manipulate it like he could a digital clock.

 

_Tick tock tick tock_

 

Then Anti disliked it cause it reminded him of the passage of time. How dare that clock keep ticking, keeping reminding them all of every second that passed while Jack reminded locked within his own body. How dare it remind Anti that it was his fault?

 

_Tick tock tick tock_

 

Now Anti hated it. The clock taunted him. Marching time forward ever closer to.... Well to what? He actually didn't know. And he hated that he didn't know.

 

_Tick tock tick tock_

 

It didn't just taunt him here, in this room that was too silent for having two occupants, one of whom should never have been this quiet and still. No the clock even haunted his dreams. Every night that Anti finally let sleep claim him he heard that damned clock ticking as Chase called out to him, sounding terrified of...something. Anti always called back, trying to find his lost brother but everytime it seemed he might be close he woke up, the clock's ticking being the last thing he hears.

 

_Tick tock tick tock_

 

Six months now those dreams had plagued him. Six months since Jack had finally woken up but Chase had not. Six long, agonizingly slow months since they had last heard Chase's voice, seen his smile, felt his supportive touch.

 

_Tick tock tick tock_

 

It wasn't fair! How dare they get Jack back only to lose Chase in return?! If this was some cruel joke Anti did not find it funny and he had the darkest humor in the family! How dare the powers that be take away the most supportive and caring of the Septics right when Jack needed him most?!

 

_Tick tock tick tock_

 

But did Chase know? Did he know how much he meant to them? How much his comfort and support meant to them? Did he know how much his brothers loved him? How much his kids loved him? Did he know how much quieter the house was now that he wasn't here?  Did Chase know just how much Anti appreciated him reaching out to the glitch when Anti had first shown remorse for what he'd done to Jack even when no one else trusted him?

 

_Tick tock tick tock_

 

Jack said he could sometimes hear their voices while he was in his coma. That it brought him comfort to know they were all there and that he wasn't alone in the darkness. Now that Chase was in his place Jack made sure to come talk to him every day. Hell they all did.

 

_Tick tock tick tock_

 

Chase's kids even called every day so they could be put on speaker and talk to their dad. They would tell him about their day, what they had learned in school or done over the weekend with their mom. They would always end the call by telling Chase how much they miss him and that they loved him. Anti hoped Chase at least could hear that.

 

_Tick tock tick tock_

 

And through all this Anti stood watch. He felt he had failed Chase in some way. That he was somewhat responsible for his brother's condition. Henrik called it survivor's guilt but Anti knew better. He knew Chase's condition wasn't natural. It wasn't his health suddenly failing or anything like that. And he knew better than anyone the scars he had left on Jack that now mocked him from Chase's throat, despite how faint Marvin's magic had made them.

 

_Tick tock tick tock_

 

Anti felt the least he could do was guard Chase. His family had finally stopped trying to coax him out after the first month and just brought him food and drinks at regular intervals. They didn't understand why he felt the need to guard Chase. Hell Anti didn't understand why. But he knew, somehow he knew they were running out of time. For what he had no idea but he would be damned if he wasn't here to try and protect Chase from whatever it was. It was the least he could do for Chase after all the father had done for him.

 

_Tick tock tick tock_

 

 

* * *

 

The room was a disaster. If he didn't know any better Henrik would have thought that a tornado had blown through, scattering papers and books and potion ingredients to every corner. Actually knowing how much harder it was for Marvin to control his magic when upset it was possible a mini tornado had formed. And in the center sat their bedraggled magician.

 

"You need a break, mein freund." Henrik spoke up from where he leaned against the doorframe.

 

Marvin didn't even glance up from the many books that sat in front of him, "I can't figure it out, Hen. I've looked for any possible spell or curse that could have been used but I keep coming up blank."

 

Bloodshot eyes peered up from behind greasy long hair, "What am I missing, Hen? I can't...I just can't find it!"

 

The doctor hurried forward as the scattered papers rustled in a sudden breeze, "Vhich is why you need a break. Some food and a hot shower at least vill do your body some good. Doctor's orders."

 

The magician resisted Henrik's firm tug on his elbow at first before reluctantly standing. Sitting for so long had consequences though and he immediately stumbled forward, held up only by Henrik's arms.

 

"Careful! I imagine zhe blood is rushing back to your legs, yes? Give it a moment, Marv, then we shall walk."

 

It takes a few minutes but the tingling finally dies down enough that Marvin can walk and he allows Henrik to guide him to the bathroom, getting a hot shower started for him. Once Henrik was sure Marvin was ok he returned to the magician's room and started gathering up the papers on the floor.

 

He sighed when he realized how many papers were actually pages that had been torn out of books, crumpled and tossed to the corners of the room, most likely from Marvin's frustration at the page once again not having the information they needed. Henrik carefully sorted the papers into piles of torn out pages, he knew Marvin would magically repair them later, and papers with notes and cross references written down. He left the books alone, not knowing which ones were currently crucial to Marvin's research and which had already been discarded.

 

The floor finally visible again, Henrik made his way to the kitchen. It was unlikely Marvin would stay long enough to eat an actual meal so Henrik pulled out stuff to make a hearty sandwich. He would prefer that Marvin go take a nap for at least an hour but he knew from past experience that Marvin would only sleep when his body forced him to. It wasn't healthy but all the threats Henrik had given before had been fruitless. 

 

He understood though. When Jack had been in a coma, Henrik had done the same thing, staying awake for way longer than he should have trying to come up with some miracle medicine that would wake Jack up. If it wasn't for Marvin and Chase dragging him to bed, Henrik would probably look more like a hunchback with how often he passed out at his desk, his body simply unable to keep going without resh.

 

Henrik's heart clenched thinking of Chase. For not the first time he wondered how. How had this happened? How had they allowed Chase to get to this state? It was a silly thought he knew that. It wasn't anything they had personally done. Not as far as they knew anyway... But Henrik still felt a sense of guilt every time he saw Chase's silent form laying on the hospital bed. 

 

Marvin comes into the kitchen as the doctor is cleaning up. Henrik nods at Marvin's quiet "Thank you" when he takes the plate with his dinner on it.

 

"An hour of sleep wouldn't be amiss either, Marv." 

 

The doctor sighed when Marvin simply hummed and walked away. He would try again later this evening. Hopefully Marvin would be more willing to sleep in a few hours. Finishing up in the kitchen, Henrik makes his way back to the office, nodding at Anti as he entered. The glitch refused to leave Chase's side despite everyone's best efforts. He wouldn't even sleep or go shower unless someone else was going to be with Chase the whole time. 

 

Anti had told them that he didn't want Chase to be alone, that they owed him that much after all he'd done for them. Though Henrik had overheard Anti talking softly to Chase, telling the young father that he would protect him, that nothing would harm Chase as long as Anti stood guard. Henrik didn't know what bothered him more, that Anti needed to protect Chase or that a tiny voice whispered in the doctor's head that Anti might not be able to.

 

He needed a distraction yet as he sat down to start on paperwork he couldn't bring himself to lift his pen. It was as if that tiny writing utensil had been super glued to the desk. (Which it may have. He recalled Anti pulling such a prank on him before. Though the glitch hadn't been in the mood for pranks lately...) 

 

Instead Henrik found himself drawn to the cell phone sitting on top of his stack of papers. He had pulled it from Chase's pocket when he had changed Chase into a hospital gown and it had sat on his desk ever since, ignored except when he needed to move it out of the way. Now it seemed to call to him, like a siren to a passing sailor. Normally he wouldn't invade Chase's privacy like this but...

 

Shaking his head, Henrik firmly grabbed the phone and pulled it towards him. Chase most likely wouldn't mind Henrik looking through it. Besides he might be able to find some videos of Chase's kids and it would do the young father some good to hear their voices. He grabbed the charging cable that was always plugged in next to his desk and connected it to the phone, the 6 months of inactivity having caused the battery to die awhile ago. Several moments passed as the phone started up only for Henrik to find he had a problem. The phone required a 4 digit pin number that he didn't know.

 

"1113" Anti spoke up from his seat.

 

Henrik looked at him in surprise then shock when it was correct.

 

"Its the years his kids were born." The glitch explained.

 

The urge to facepalm was great but Henrik managed to stamp it down. Of course the pin number was related to the kids. They were Chase's whole world, he loved them more than anything. 

 

Murmuring a thank you, Henrik return his attention to the phone. Wow Chase sure had a lot of emails. It had been 6 months sure but still it seemed excessive. Those could be dealt with later. Right now Henrik was only interested in the gallery. The doctor blinked in surprise when he finally located the app he needed. Chase had always been rather..disorganized in Henrik's opinion. It wasn't uncommon for Chase's room to be a mess unless his kids were coming over. Yet looking through the gallery you would have no idea. Everything was neatly organized into different folders and each folder was labeled. There was a folder for Fan Encounters, a folder for Brothers, one for Food surprisingly, Memes (unsurprisingly though now Henrik understood how Chase was able to respond with meme pics so fast), and of course one for Kids.

 

Before Henrik clicked on the kids folder though one picture stood out to him as it was the only picture that hadn't been placed in a folder yet and it seemed to be a picture of...a book page? Odd, Henrik didn't usually see Chase reading books. What else about the father did he not know? Unable to suppress his curiosity, Henrik clicked on the picture to enlarge it. 

 

His eyes widened as he looked over the picture several times, unable, or unwilling really to believe what he was reading. No. No no no no this couldn't... How would Chase have even found this?!

 

Marvin. Henrik needed to show this to Marvin immediately. Knocking his chair over in his rush, Henrik ignored Anti's questions as he dashed down the hall and burst through Marvin's door, startling the magician.

 

"Wha-"

 

"I know what's wrong with Chase." Henrik shoved the phone in Marvin's face for him to see what the doctor had found.

 

Marvin's own eyes widened and he snatched the phone to take a closer look, whispering in horror, "No...oh God no...Chase...what have you done?!"

 


	4. Bad Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marvin was too late...

A demon deal. Jack hadn't wanted to believe it. When Marvin and Henrik told everyone what they found he had argued that they must be mistaken. He couldn't bring himself to think that Chase would have done such a thing, all to save him. It was just a coincidence. 

 

Then Anti went into Chase's phone and found the location history. Most of it was normal; house, gas station, grocery store. That sorta thing. Then he found an odd location in the country, not far from them. Jack had gone there with Marvin and Anti to check it out and found a dirt crossroads. Marvin went to the center and used his magic to dig up a box that's contents made Jack's blood run cold. Inside this small unsuspecting box was dirt, a bone, and a picture of Chase. And Jack hated it. He didn't even want to look at it as it was undeniable proof that Chase had made a deal to bring Jack back. 

 

"I just don't get it, Chase. Why? Why would you do this?" Jack whispered to his comatose friend, clasping one of Chase's too cold hands in his.

 

The egos said Chase had been having a hard time. Henrik told him about the anti anxiety and depression pills the doctor had prescribed to help with Chase's mental health and about the counselor Henrik had tried to get Chase to go see. Jack wishes he had been here to help. 

 

"Please wake up, Chase. You've got so many people here who miss you and need you. Anti's become a living statue now. Marv never performs any of his shows. Jackie spends more and more time away from home and when he does come home he's a mess of injuries. Hen speaks in German more than English now which you know he only does when he's really stressed. And Jamie keeps compulsively cleaning everything, says he wants to make sure you don't have to worry about anything when you wake up. And your kids, Chase...Stacy says they wake up every night crying cause of nightmares of losing you."

 

Jack paused to wipe away at the tears forming, trying to compose himself, "I need you too, man. You're my best friend. And you've done so much good with the channel! The PMA movement is amazing! And I know you'd love the new memes the fans come up with. How..." Jack bit back a sob, "H-how can I keep that up without you? How did y-you do it? You're....fuck you're so much stronger than me. I can't...I c-can't do this w-without you, Chase. P-please. Please wake up." 

 

Unable to suppress it anymore, Jack covered his face with his hands, loud sobs filling the room.

 

 

* * *

 

Marvin growled in frustration as he threw another useless book away from him. Running his hands through his disheveled hair (When was the last time he cut it?) he grabbed another book off the shelf and used his magic to start slipping through the pages. 

 

Six months. Six long godforsaken months since they'd found that thrice damned box and Marvin was no closer to figuring out how to wake up Chase than he was _before_ they found the box.

 

It was surprisingly easy to find information on how to summon a crossroads demon. But after that there was almost nothing. No passages about demon weaknesses. No books about ending deals. No hints even on what demons took in return.

 

That's what scared Marvin the most. He had no idea what Chase gave the demon in exchange for the deal. And the crossroads demons Marvin had summoned weren't interested in telling him. They would laugh at him and say he'll find out soon enough then they'd poof away. 

 

"Useless fucking book!" Marvin snarled as he flung another book away with his magic, jumping when he heard a cry of alarm from where the book impacted the wall next to the door.

 

"Henrik! Oh God I'm so sorry!" Marvin rushed to the doctor's side, "I didn't hear you enter! Are you alright??"

 

The doctor waved him off with a weak smile, "I'm alright, mein freund. Merely startled me. So long as you veren't aiming at me I'm sure zhe book had it coming."

 

Marvin hovered for a moment before a quick scan of Henrik with his magic confirmed that the doctor was indeed fine. His shoulders slumped forward in relief, "I'm still sorry. I should know better than to lose track of my surroundings." 

 

Henrik's hand gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze, "It's alright. I zhould have been more careful myself. I heard zhe noise and came to check on you. I haz never seen you throw books so carelessly before, Marv. Talk to me, mein freund."

 

Papers and books fluttered in the sudden breeze as Marvin clenched his fists, "It's been a year, Hen. A fucking year and I still can't figure out how to wake him up!"

 

"It's alri-"

 

"IT'S NOT ALRIGHT!" 

 

Henrik gasped as the floor around Marvin was suddenly in flames, backing away from the either the fire or his anger. Marvin wasn't sure which and didn't care at the moment.

 

"I'm a magician, Henrik! Marvin the Magnificent! My specialty is the supernatural and yet I can't even save our brother!!"

 

With a snarl Marvin whirled towards the fire and extinguished it with a blast of icy wind, leaving a slippery patch on the floor in its place. His chest heaved with his anger as the two stood there in silence.

 

"I'm going to summon another demon tonight, where he did. It's the one year anniversary after all. Maybe the demon that shows up with finally tell me something useful as they gloat about it."

 

Henrik frowned at him before finally giving a nod, "Ok. If zhey don't though....kick zheir ass for me."

 

The grin Marvin gave was humorless and bloodthirsty, "I can promise that."

 

* * *

 

The next couple hours passed slowly as Marvin gathered the supplies he needed then waited for sunset. He was originally going to summon the demon at the same time he figured Chase would have but he got too restless to wait anymore. Ten minutes early he teleported to the original crossroads and buried his box, pulling his magic to his hands as he waited.

 

"Well it's not often I get a light show when summoned. What's the occasion, darling?"

 

Marvin whirled around at the voice, hands at the ready but paused when he saw the being before him. All the demons he had summoned before had been attractive in some way or another. But this woman...she looked more like a supermodel than a demon.

 

The smile she gave him was sultry and dangerous and set off every warning bell possible in him, "Hello, Marvin."

 

The magician backed up a step as she stepped towards him, wanting to keep distance between them, "You know me?"

 

"Of course, darling." This time she took a step to the side with him stepping to the side in the other direction, both still facing the other, "Who doesn't know Marvin the Magnificent and his wonderful little magic shows? Such a shame you haven't had a show recently."

 

Anger bubbled up in him as Marvin growled, "Kinda hard to put on a show when one of your brethren has placed my brother in a coma."

 

She cooed in sympathy, her body language convincing enough that Marvin would have believed her if he didn't know she was a demon, "Such a tragic thing to happen. But he did summon us you know. Crossroads demons don't make deals with the unwilling. We're not that cruel." 

 

Another step to the side.

 

"Yet you're cruel enough to take payment from someone who's desperate and had been drinking!" Marvin retorted. 

 

The woman hummed, "Perhaps. We are still demons after all. But I can assure you he was still sober enough to make the deal with a clear head. He did not get anything he did not ask for nor was he coerced into doing something he did not desire."

 

At this point the two were slowly circling each other, watching the other closely as if searching for a weak point to strike yet waiting for their opponent to make the first move.

 

"I'm sure the demon was just as sympathetic to his plight as you are before taking Chase's payment. Tell me what did Chase offer in exchange for his deal?"

 

A look of almost amused surprise crossed the woman's face, "He didn't tell you? Oh yes of course he didn't. I suppose I didn't give him enough time to confess what he'd done." She shrugged unconcerned, "Oh dear. Well I did promise to let him see his dear Jack awake first so I still held up my end if the deal."

 

Marvin froze in place, "Your end...?" His eyes widened in realization before glowing green in fury, "You! You're the one!"

 

Her cruel laugh filled the crossroads, "Ding ding, let's give a treat to the kitty for finally figuring it out. I must say I've never seen someone work so hard on the behalf of my client to cancel their contract, it's been rather amusing to watch."

 

Marvin surged forward with a snarl, grabbing the woman by her throat and lifting her off the ground. His hand crackled with magical power as he held it to her face, "You will free my brother from his coma, bitch, before I send you back to the hell pit you crawled out of."

 

The smug grin and raised eyebrow fueled Marvin's fury, "But how can I tell you what I took from your dear brother if I'm in hell? Isn't that what you wanted to know so desperately?"

 

Her smile widened when he hesitated, "I took what all demons want. His soul."

 

Marvin's jaw gaped slightly in shock and horror. The demon woman cooed in mock sympathy again, "It's alright, darling, he didn't know either at first. But I did tell him before we finalized the deal if that makes you feel any better."

 

Taking advantage of his distraction the woman teleported out of his grasp to a spot a few feet away, "Now if you'll excuse me, unless you have your own deal to make I really must be going. Queen of the Crossroads and all. Keeps me rather busy. Besides I think your creator really needs to speak with you. I'll be sure to tell your brother hello for you, dear."

 

Marvin's phone rang in the suddenly empty crossroads and the ground rumbled from where his fist punched the dirt, a cry of rage echoing in the stillness. The phone went silent only to ring again, keeping Marvin from sinking further into his anger. Jack's name flashed across the screen. With shaking hands Marvin answered, "Hello?"

 

Sobs immediately assaulted his ears causing him to jerk to a stand, "Jack?? Wha-??"

 

"Marv!! He-hh-e...oh g-god" 

 

The magician felt his heart pounding from where it had lodged itself in his throat and he teleported to Jack's location. Immediately he was assaulted by the smell of copper and sulfur and decay and the sound of heart wrenching sobs.

 

"What..." Marvin's eyes bulged at the sight before him.

 

Jack had been in the hospital room but it wasn't anything like what it had been before. Furniture was turned over or broke, the shattered glass from the window strewn about the floor. Jack, Henrik, and Jameson sat on the floor, holding each other as they sobbed. And the blood. Oh God the blood was everywhere... The walls, the furniture, the ceiling! But the majority of it was in a very large pool in the center of the room.

 

And in the center of the pool was Anti, his clothing torn to shreds with large claw and teeth marks all over his body, sobbing shaking his form as he curled over someone in his arms. Next to him lay the unmoving body of a hellish canine beast, Anti's knife buried in its throat. A hellhound...

 

Marvin gasped and took a step towards Anti. Hellhounds worked for demons, carrying out tasks for them like guarding places from mortals and... And collecting souls. 

 

"Anti..." Marvin called quietly, desperation choking. No no he had to be wrong. Please...

 

The glitch's red rimmed eyes gazed up at him in despair, allowing Marvin to see the torn open body of his brother.

 

"Chase-?!" 

 

The house shook as the magician fell to his knees, his cries of rage and grief joining those of who remained of his family.


	5. Good Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack calls someone for help

A demon deal. Jack could scarcely believe it. Surely Marvin had to be mistaken! But the little box the magician brought back from a crossroads at an odd location in Chase's phone history proved it, Chase had made a deal with a demon to bring Jack back.

 

It wasn't his fault he knew that but Jack still couldn't help feeling guilty. Chase had so many people who loved him and looked up to him and he had done so much good for so many people! The PMA movement he started on the channel along with all the money he said for charities proved it! But the egos said Chase had become depressed and had started drinking heavily. Henrik had prescribed some anti anxiety & depression medication but he had been having difficulties finding pills that worked for Chase without giving him the bad side affects.

 

Jack sighed as he leaned forward in his chair, holding onto Chase's hand, his fingers resting on the pulse point in the wrist. The heart monitor showed Chase's heart still beat in his chest but Jack preferred feeling it for himself. It brought him comfort to feel the veins pulse under his fingertips. With his other head he ran his fingers through Chase's hair.

 

"I love you bro, you know I do. But you're such an idiot sometimes, Chase. Why would you give up everything for me? Don't you know what you have? How blessed you are?" Jack swallowed around the lump in his throat, "I'm sorry I shouldn't say such things. I of all people know what depression is like. I know how it messes with your head."

 

Jack paused, trying to keep himself composed as tears burned at his eyes, "I promise when you wake up I'll do everything I can to help you beat your depression. And you will wake up, Chase. You have to. We need you, man."

 

And they did. They all needed Chase. The young father may not have realized it but he held this family together like no one else could. Without him everyone was drifting apart. Marvin rarely left his room anymore, Anti had to be dragged from Chase's side to be forced to shower or sleep, and when was the last time they saw Jackie? Few days ago?

 

But to get Chase back they may need some help. And Jack knew just who to contact.

 

* * *

 

Marvin growled in frustration as he threw another book away from him. Yet another dead end! Running his hands through his disheveled hair (When was the last time he cut it?) he grabbed another book off the shelf and used his magic to start slipping through the pages.

 

Six months. Six long months since they'd found that thrice damned box and Marvin was no closer to figuring out how to wake up Chase than he was before they found the box.

 

It was surprisingly easy to find information on how to summon a crossroads demon. But after that there was almost nothing. No passages about demon weaknesses. No books about ending deals. No hints even on what demons took in return.

 

That's what scared Marvin the most. He had no idea what Chase gave the demon in exchange for the deal. And the crossroads demons Marvin had summoned weren't interested in telling him. They would laugh at him and say he'll find out soon enough then they'd poof away.

 

"Useless fucking book!" Marvin snarled as he flung another book away with his magic, not paying attention to where it flew.

 

"Oi! Nice aim, Marv."

The magician spun towards the door, his jaw dropping when he saw the rugged man who stood there, holding the book he had just flung away.

 

"I gotta say this wasn't quite the greetin' I was expectin' though." The man said with a grin.

 

Marvin stood there gaping like a fish. Had he truly gone to long without sleep? Or was it really...?

 

"Angus??"

 

The survivalist's grin widened as he held open his arms, "The one an' only!"

 

Marvin threw himself into Angus' arms, laughing when the hunter picked him up a few inches with his infamous bear hug, "Man it's so good to see you!"

 

Stepping back, hands still on Angus' shoulders, Marvin grinned at his wayward brother, "I thought you weren't coming back until Christmas!"

 

Angus' grin vanished and his eyes darkened, "That was the plan until I heard my family was in trouble. Demons are no laughing matter, Marv. Ya need all the help ye can get."

 

"Wha-? But how...?"

 

The hunter pulled off his pager on his belt, holding it up for Marvin to see, "Jack contacted me. I always check my pager every time I'm in civilization to see if I need to call anyone. Just sorry it took so long to get back. It ain't always easy findin' a plane in the middle o' nowhere."

 

Angus looked around the room and whistled lowly, "Damn bro ye got a right mess in 'ere. Clear a space fer me an' tell me what ya've found out about the demon we're huntin'."

 

"Oh right! Yea sure just give me a sec." Marvin quickly pulled at his magic to push aside all the books and papers from his desk and chairs, while grabbing the book he had about summoning crossroads demons.

 

He set the book on the table as Angus spun his chair around to sit in it backwards, arms leaning over the back of the chair, "I haven't been able to find much really. I did find the passage about summoning a crossroads demon but it lacks a surprising amount of detail." Marvin explained as he flipped to the page and turned the book for Angus to read.

 

The hunter looked over the passage, his brow furrowing as he read, "Damn so it was a crossroads demon. Was afraid of that."

 

Marvin looked up in surprise, "You're familiar with this type of demon?"

 

Angus leaned on one hand with a scowl, "Ya have to be familiar with all types of supernatural beasts if yer gonna travel through the wilderness and interact with the tribes of natives in poorer countries." He gestured to Marvin's room, "Here in the "civilized" countries yet magic tricks are just that, tricks. Most don' realize the power ye possess. But out there," Angus jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, "In the backwoods and places most people have forgotten? The old magic thrives. Beasts both natural and not find humans to be good sport. Leviathans, lycans, vampires. Creatures that don't even have names in the English tongue. And the worst of them all are the demons."

 

The glare Angus gave the passage about crossroads demons should have caused the pages to ignite in flames, such was the intensity of his anger, "Bloody manipulative bastards the lot of them. They prey on the weak and the desperate using honeyed words and empty promises to convince good people to sell them their souls."

 

Dread stabbed at Marvin's chest, "Their souls?! But then Chase..."

 

"Sold his soul to a demon, yes. A demon must want something from ya to accept anything less and I doubt our brother had anything a demon needed." Angus confirmed, his face still dark with anger though his eyes showed the anguish he was feeling.

 

Marvin sat there in silence for a moment, running his hands through his hair. Finally he whispered, "What...what do we do, Ang? How do we fix this?"

 

A shuffling caused Marvin to look up as Angus produced an odd look dagger with unfamiliar runes engraved on the sides, "We fix it by finding that demon and teaching it what happens to those that fuck with our family."

 

The grin Angus gave Marvin was chilling and bloodthirsty, "So Marv, what do ye know about devil's traps?"

 

* * *

 

Angus loved his work. There were so many exciting creatures to see, interesting people to meet, and beautiful places to see in all corners of the globe. He has gotten to see wonders most people could scarcely even dream of seeing!

 

But as he sat next to his comatose brother he found himself wondering if it was worth it. Were all the wonders of the world worth seeing his family only a couple times a year?

 

The hunter sighed and gently grasped Chase's hand, "Hey little bro. Sure got yerself into a fine mess haven't ya? Demons? I thought I taught ya better than that, mate."

 

His eyes wandered over Chase's face, taking in the new lines of stress and age that hadn't been there when last he saw him. Sorrow ate at him as he realized what Chase must have been dealing with, probably silently knowing his little brother.

 

"You always were too self sacrificing, Chase. I'm just sorry I wasn't here to help you."

 

**"You're here now. That's what matters."** Anti spoke up.

 

Angus looked over at his glitch brother who leaned on the wall in the corner, watching over the room with a grim look, his arms crossed. He gave Anti a wry grin, "Is the great Antisepticeye giving me words of encouragement? Have I finally lost my mind?"

 

Anti huffed with a roll of his eyes, **"Crazier things have happened. I am one of the "good guys" now after all."** His eyes moved over to Chase, **"Besides it's become obvious more...encouragement has been needed in this house."** His gaze snapped back to the hunter, **"Just don't get used to hearing it from me."**

 

Holding up his hands in mock surrender Angus replied, "Wouldn't dream of it, mate."

 

Silence fell over them as they watched the steady rise and fall of Chase's chest.

 

"Ya up fer a demon hunt, Anti?" The hunter glanced over his shoulder at his brother.

 

Anti blinked once, a vicious grin spreading his lips, **"I thought you'd never ask."**

 

* * *

 

It wasn't often that Anti got nervous. Even after the other egos had come around to forgiving Anti and accepting him into the group, the glitch kept up the appearance of never being sad or scared. He may not be the "bad guy" anymore but that didn't mean he was suddenly going to spill out all his woes and fears. Chase was the only one who called him out on his bullshit. Said he had too much experience with Jackie's tough guy act of hiding his emotions behind his anger and "heroism". There was no chance of Anti fooling him with the same act.

 

He'd probably be able to see through Anti's feigned relaxed look now if he were there. But he wasn't at the crossroads with them and instead was the cause of their trip and Anti was afraid they would fail again. Angus had informed them that a typical demon deal was for ten years but Anti couldn't help feeling their timeline was shorter than the hunter believed. Maybe it was just cause as of tonight Chase will have been in a coma for a full year and that was a year too long and Anti still felt guilty about it.

 

But he was ready to face this demon and make it pay. And it seemed Angus and Marvin were finally ready too. The hunter held a bowl in his hands that was important for summoning specific demons and Marvin was at the ready with his magic. Anti locked eyes with his brothers and they exchanged a nod before Angus started chanting something in latin, throwing a lit match on the bowl. Its contents created a small fireball, it's smoke forming a symbol of some sort as Angus kept chanting.

 

The smoke swirled in the air, changing from one symbol to another as it drifted to the ground in front of the hunter, blinding them all with a flash of fire before revealing a person. Anti blinked in confusion as a supermodel looking woman formed from the fire and smoke. This was the demon they had been hunting?

 

Marvin shouted something and his magic created a devil's trap beneath the woman, brilliant green light forming each of the symbols. As the exterior circle of the symbol closed the woman sneered at them.

 

"Well well, it seems all that trudging through the dark corners of the world has taught you a few tricks, Angus. Good to know abandoning your family for dirty uncivilized barbarians paid off."

 

Angus growled at the woman, putting the bowl at his feet and pulling out a corked flask, "Glad to see all yer deal makin' has made ya just as predictable as any other demon. Soon as yer confronted with a challenge all ya can do is hurl insults and snarls." He uncorked the flask, "But the only words I want outta yer hole is the endin' of my lil' brother's contract."

 

The cruel laugh the woman let out would have impressed Anti if he wasn't angry with her, "No can do, darling. Your precious lil' brother's soul belongs to me now."

 

Angus let out a snarl, "Wrong answer." and hurled some of the fluid in his flask at the woman. Burns quickly formed where the fluid splashed on her body, screams of pain and rage accompanying the burns.

 

The burns quickly healed to Anti's disappointment and the woman smirked, "Aw is the wittle hunter angry? Are you frustrated you don't know as much as you think you do, Angus?"

 

Her eyes turned to Marvin, "And you, Marvin the Magnificent. Or should perhaps it should be Marvin the Mediocre. Marvin the Second Rate Magician. It's a mouth full but I think it's more fitting. All your books and tricks and yet you couldn't save Jack and you can't save Chase. You should magic to the professionals, darling."

 

Marvin's eyes glowed, a flask of his own appearing above the woman's head and dumping it's contents on her. She growled and snarled, her burns forming and healing just as quick as before.

 

Anti bared his teeth at her in warning when her eyes turned to him, "You gonna throw holy water at me too, "demon"? You think your family has forgiven you for your crimes, Anti? Or is this your way of making them see you've truly changed? And every night you fear they'll betray you, cast you out. Like the glitch bitch you are."

 

It was only Marvin's quick magically intervention that kept Anti from leaping on the woman and tearing out her tongue. Angus moved in front of Anti now, throwing more holy water onto the demon woman.

 

She snarled again, this time her voice taking on a second deeper voice that spoke in a darker language while her female voice continued in English, **"Y̯͠o̻͝u ̦̾h̲͘av̨̉e͚͒n't ̲̈ḽ̌ea̬r̦͑ned eń͕oug̊͟h,̬̿ ̟̔sur̨͆v̔͢i͔̅v̲̾a̳̅l hṳ͐nt͍͛e̳͑r̹̒, ̞̆i̱̒f̹͌ y̡͛o̱̚u ͎̀t̥̿h̙͌i̳͞n͉̐k̳̔ ̱̐a ̦̎d͎̾e̗̿vil's ̎͜trap̨͘ a̻͐n̩̎d̪̋ a ̞̈li̡͠t͇͐tle h̼̋o͕͠ly w͔̓â͍t͚͂er̘͛ wil̜̽l ̳͘s͉͌u̹͝b͍̉ď̙ue͍̾ ̓͢the ̡̐q̻̎u̗͑eȇ̱n ̈͟o̩͡f ̦́t̠̄he̥̅ c̥̽r̉͜oss̥̄road͎̎s!"**

 

The hunter stepped back with a sigh, giving the woman a look as if examining her, "Yer right about the holy water part." He gave a quick nod and from the darkness a blur of red and blue sped past the woman, causing her to scream in her dual voices as a needle suddenly appeared in her neck, its contents injected into her veins, "But yer wrong if ya think those are the only tricks up our sleeves."

 

The woman's chest heaved, her manicured nails looking more like claws as she dug at the needle, **"I should have known ya would͖͛ h̥a̼͊ve͈̚ ̣̅b̝̆ro͞ͅụ͐g̘͒h̦͠t ̙̍y͎̿e͋͢r ̠͡w͉̩̿̊an͇͋na̺͑b̤̿ȅ̻ h͇͂e͕̤̔̈́r̩̜̔̽͘͢o͍͔͙̾̃̾ ̘̝̮͗͌ẇ̢̠͓͋͌i̖̼͓̒̑͝t͓͉̦̄͐̊h̼͖̒̌̋͟ y̧͍͖͑́̕ǫ̥͂ͅu̮͛̑̒."** She snarled at Jackie who now stood next to Marvin, **"͚́̍͜Wh͇̕a̬͠ţ͞'s ̭̈́th̙̽e̛͇ ̰̊m̨͞att̖̒ě̻r ̥͉̈͡"̱̆h͓̅è̦ṟ̫̒̌o"̜̉?͚̰͌̏ ̖̃R̠͔̐̏ě̲al̺̀i̛̱z̹̦͐͡e͖̔d̊͢ ̪͊ỵ̕o͙̔u'̩͝r̰e n͚͆ő͎t̪̄ ̩gȏ̤̟o̻͑̇͟d̝̉ ̤̄e̻͠n̦o͉̔u͚̙͒̚g̗͒h ṭ͝ò̝ ̖̤͆͠s̻a̭̔v̰͉̉̀e̱̕ ͊͢y͙̏ò̹u͔̭͆̄r͉̚ ̻͋f̧̓a̲͆mį́l̡̙̈́̐ÿ̪?̰̚"**

 

Jackie's fists and jaw clenched, the hero taking a step towards her before Angus stepped in front of him, "Don't pay her any mind, Jackie. Lass is all bark an' no bite now." He looked back at her, "Especially with that syringe in her. Bet that burns doesn't it?"

 

**"Gö̻̪̊ t͙̎̒͟ô͖͚͝ h̩̬͒̊ę̌l͙̒l̖͘!̨̜͆͐"̡̉** This time both voices spoke in English.

 

Angus glanced at Jackie and the hero sped past the demon again, another syringe plunged into her neck. She growled and snarled and cursed in multiple languages, going to her knees to claw at the ground. It was a good thing Marvin's light magic was used to form the trap. Anti didn't want this demon to escape them now that they were so close.

 

The hunter knelt down so he was eye level with the demon, "Ya know some demon buddies of yer's were harassing a tribe I met in my travels. They were good people who had little but still gave generously to others. For years you demon bastards made them miserable. Then a missionary heard of their plight and came to them. With his help they banished all but one demon. That one they captured and the missionary was able to experiment on the demon. Ya know what he found?"

 

Angus pulled out another syringe, this one full of blood, "He found if he blessed his blood like he blessed the water, it weakened the demon. Especially if he injected it." He held up the syringe for the demon to see, "So we can do this one of two ways, you can be stubborn and we can keep injecting you with blessed blood for eternity. Or you can destroy Chase's contract while not putting Jack back in his coma and we'll end all of this."

 

The demon's now pure red eyes glared up at the hunter, **"̧̋The͍͈͐̍ o͔͆̉ͅn͙͔͊͐l̰͍̇̂y wả̺͛͟y ỷ̺o̢̿u͉͒̀ͅ'͔͛lḷ̨͛ s̝͎͋͝eẽ̬̝̕ yo̩ur̙̐ l͈̗̽̃it̗̰͌̒tl̝̈e͕̓̎ͅ b̙̾r̪̓o͍̐̅ͅt̛͈̝͒h͍̩̆͠er̫̆ a͒͌͜͟g̩͝a̝̋i̭͇̍͑ǹ̟̱̍ i̧̢̐͞s͖̯̒̍ w͚͊h̎͢e͍̎ṉ̟̃́ h̪͈̓̈́ḛ͈̾́ h̛̹a̭̓̏͟s̘͍̋͝ ey̞͋͌͜ẹ̗̀̈s̛̩͕̾ as̢͍͑͂ b̘̘̈͘lâ̝c̡̿k ạ͐s̘͊ h͉̜͋̎i̼̬̎̕ṣ͂ t̯̬͋͞o͕̪̒̿rt̡̠̿͘u͙͊̅͜red̗͎̓̚ a̘͚͋̑n̡̪͒̂d̞̟͗̋ b̼̫̈͝r̘͋oǩ̙̪͝ê̥̫͠n͟͝ ṣ͕̒oú̢l!"**

 

Anti and his brothers all growled at the demon then. "We're going to make you regret having fucked with the Septic family, hell bitch." Angus said lowly, his voice deep with rage and he plunged the new syringe into the demon.

 

For half an hour this went on, the demon snarling threats and curses at them with every syringe of blood pumped into them. Finally the demon yelled, **"E̛͎͈͑N͙̼̜͒̔͑Ō͖̗̘̠̐̆͡Ṳ̳̗̘͗̽͝G̨̨̧̭̃̂̐̊H̖̭̎!"**

 

They all stood silently, the only sound in the clearing being that heavy breathing and growls of the demon. The woman snapped her fingers and a contract appeared before her, **"Your brother's pathetic soul isn't worth dealing with you."** She snapped her fingers again and the contract disintegrated in flames, **"There. He's free from his bloody contract."**

 

Angus gave her a suspicious look, "And Jack is still awake?"

 

The demon rolled her eyes, **"Yes your sweet little Jackaboy is awake. Now let me out!"**  

 

For several moments the two stared each other down before Angus finally stood up and looked over at Anti. The glitch grinned and zapped forward, sinking the blade of Angus' runed dagger into the demon's heart. The woman gasped up at him in shock, sparks of electricity visible through her skin as the dagger severed her corrupted soul from this plane of existence. When the light finally left her eyes Anti pulled the dagger free. The four brothers stared down at her unmoving form, waiting to see if she moved until they were satisfied she was gone for good.

 

Angus rolled his shoulders then turned to Marvin, "Think ye can take us home, Marv?"

 

The magician nodded and a quick spell later they were back in Marvin's room. It only took a moment for them to hear commotion going on outside. Anti's heart thumped nervously, did they actually do it?

 

Following the noise to the hospital room they found Jack, Henrik, and Jameson all crowded around the occupied bed. And in the bed was the whole reason for their demon hunt, sitting up and smiling for the first time in a year.

 

"Chase!" The four rushed forward and embraced their brother in a large group hug. Anti didn't even hesitate to join or deny the tears pooling in his eyes. He didn't care about appearances right now. All that mattered was Chase was ok. He was alive and smiling and talking and it was the most beautiful thing Anti ever saw. They had issues they needed to discuss of course but that could wait. Right now they were just going to enjoy their family finally being whole again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read my story! I appreciate you guys sticking with me through this whole thing 😄


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